Israel Matzav

How to beat the UK's labeling rules

As I have reported previously, Britain has demanded that goods from Judea, Samaria and Gaza be labeled as such, piously asserting that this is a question of consumer choice and not a boycott. I also noted a suggestion that Israel boycott British goods in return. Here's another response to the British boycott that's a bit less directly confrontational than a boycott:

On December 10, the department for the environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA) published new guidance to shops and supermarkets on the labelling of produce sold in the UK that originated from Judea and Samaria. Hitherto, such goods have been labelled as “Produce of the West Bank.” Henceforth, warned DEFRA, they should be branded either as “Palestinian Produce” or “Israeli Settlement Produce.”

A spokesman for UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband wasted no time in explaining that “this is emphatically not about calling for a boycott of Israel. We believe that would do nothing to advance the peace process. We oppose any such boycott of Israel. We believe consumers should be able to choose for themselves what produce they buy.” But, he added ominously: “we have been very clear, both in public and in private, that settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace.” And in an announcement (hilariously labelled “technical advice”) quite separate from its new guidance on labelling, DEFRA’s head, Hilary Benn, warned that UK food outlets would be committing a criminal offence if they labelled produce that originated in Judea and Samaria as “produce of Israel”.

Although it is being sold as nothing more than an aid to consumer choice, this spiteful policy looks very much like a boycott invitation to me.

My recommendation to the government of Israel is to take appropriate steps to frustrate the intentions of Messrs Miliband and Benn, and to refuse absolutely to label produce from Judea and Samaria other than as originating from Israel. This could perhaps be done by re-routing produce through distribution points within Israel’s pre-1967 borders.

Of course, the time to take that position would have been several years ago when Britain insisted on labeling 'West Bank' produce separately. But rolling back that mistake would not be a bad idea. There's a risk that Britain could respond by saying that they won't allow Israeli produce in at all. But if Israel has the intestinal fortitude to act, it could shut down the Gaza flower sale in response to that. A George Galloway convoy wouldn't get the flowers to the continent in time.

Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:49 AM